Two Unique Proposals By Seaforth Maritime

Seaforth Maritime has announced revised plans for one of the North Sea's most ambitious project proposals—a floating airport with a 2,000-foot runway capable of taking four-engined 50-seat aircraft.

Seaforth originally proposed an airport based on the hull of a very large crude carrier, but has now opted for a new design based on a purpose-built semisubmersible hull structure offering good stability characteristics.

It would have three main levels, the runway on top, passenger lounges, restaurants, duty-free shops and travel offices on the second level, and aircraft and helicopter parking and maintenance areas on the third level.

The company believes the "Seaforth Stolport," as the project has been named, could revolutionize the transportation of personnel to and from 17 oil production platforms, which are likely to be in operation in the East Shetland Basin area by 1983.

Some of the world's worst weather conditions disrupt movements in and out of Sumburgh airport in the Shetland Islands. The floating airport would mean that flights could bypass Sumburgh and fly direct to the platforms from Aberdeen, saving costly manhours.

The floating airport, which the company believes could operate in Gale Force 8 conditions, would be maneuvered by built-in thrusters. The project is still at the theoretical stage.

Plans were also announced for a new multifunctional service vessel (MSV) for Shell (UK) Ltd. The company was awarded the main contract for the design, construc- tion supervision and operational management of the MSV in 1979.

The vessel will be 100 meters (328 feet) long, and have a helideck capable of taking the large Boeing Chinook helicopters; three high specification cranes; a sick bay; 17 firefighting monitors capable of delivering a total of 40,000 gallons of seawater per minute over a fire site; and a saturation diving system capable of handling a team of 24 divers in saturatic at any one time. It will be a fully dynamically positioned six-column semisubmersible vessel.

For further information, write John Ling, Seaforth Maritime Ltd., Seaforth Centre, Waterloo Quay, Aberdeen AB2 IBS, Scotland.

Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 56, Mar 15, 1980

Read Two Unique Proposals By Seaforth Maritime in Pdf, Flash or Html5 edition of March 15, 1980 Maritime Reporter

Other stories from March 15, 1980 issue

Content

Maritime Reporter

First published in 1881 Maritime Reporter is the world's largest audited circulation publication serving the global maritime industry.